Apparatus for forming glassware



April 1939- w. WAGNER. SR

APPARATUS FOR FORMING GLASSWARE Filed July 26, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 8 a Kg INVENTOR i I mafia/112% y 7 W w. L. WAGNER, sR

APPARATUS FOR FORMING GLASSWARE April 4, 1939.

Filed July 26, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Patented Apr. 4, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

My invention relates more particularly to the forming of plates and other shallow articles of glass.

Heretofore the better quality of glass plates, trays etc. have been made by hand operations. The process consisted of pressing a nappy or bowl which was then stuck to an iron or held in a snap mold. It was then held in a glory hole until the glass again became soft and thereafter the e article was formed to its final shape: Obviously through variations in temperature, differences in manual manipulations, etc., no two plates thus made were ever exactly alike. Also, the under side of the article was not fire polished or glazed when in the glory hole because it was shielded by the snap mold.

In the machine method practically the entire mass of glass had to be heated to the melting point before the nappy would slump down to its final shallow shape in the former, the heat being applied only to the interior surface of the nappy. Since the exterior surface of the nappy was much colder than the interior surface thereof, because of its long contact with the mold as compared to the relatively short duration of engagement by the press plunger, the articles often had waves or irregularities. Also, a long period of time was required to soften the cold outer skin because the heat was obliged to penetrate through the glass, thereby slowing up the machine process.

One object of my invention is to provide a method whereby glass plates and similar shallow articles can be formed more rapidly and accurately than by the methods heretofore employed.

Another object of my invention is to provide a method whereby the articles can be glazed or fire polished both interiorly and exteriorly thereof simultaneously with the forming operation.

Apparatus for practicing my invention is illusw trated in the accompanying drawings wherein Figure l is a plan view of the machine; Fig. 2 is an enlarged view taken on the line 11-11 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a. fragmentary view in side elevation on an enlarged scale showing the driving 5 mechanism for the apparatus; Fig. 4 is an enlarged view taken on the line IV-IV of Fig.1, showing the application of heat to a nappy at an initial stage in the operation of forming a plate therefrom; Fig. 5 shows a second stage in the i0 operation; Fig. 6 shows the final heating and shaping of the article, and Fig. 7 shows another manner in which the nappy may be supported in order to permit the application of heat to a larger area at its under side.

55 Theapparatus is shown as mounted upon a framework 8 which is provided with wheels so that it can be conveniently moved around a factory. At one end of the framework a vertical shaft 9 supports a sprocket l0 around which a carrier chain ll passes. Guide rails l2 are 6 mounted on the framework of the machine and serve to support the chain against "sagging, through engagement with flanges or wings l3 formed on the upper edge of the chain. A pedestal I4 is positioned on the other end of the machine and carries at its upper end a vertical shaft I5 that supports a gear wheel I 6 which has keyed connection with a sprocket wheel I! for driving the chain II. A motor I8 is mounted on the framework and through its pinion l9 drives a gear wheel 20 which drives a worm 2| which in turn drives a worm gear wheel 22. The shaft which carries the gear wheel 22 is provided with a pinion 23 that meshes with the gear wheel l6.

Supports for the formers are provided on the 20 carrier chain ll, being connected thereto at the link joints. As best shown in Fig. 4, the links have tubular pintles 25 through which extend sleeves 26 upon the upper ends of which are mounted the formers 21. Pinions 28 are secured to the lower ends of the sleeves 26 in position to engage a rack bar 29, so that the formers 21 will be'rotated when passing the shaping and glazing stations A, B, C and D.

A push rod or plunger 30 extends through each sleeve 26 and carries at its upper end a disc 3| which when in lowered position constitutes in effect a part of the former. A cam rail 32 is so positioned that it will be engaged by the lower ends of the plungers 30 while the formers are passing the stations A and B, so that the article being operated upon will be held in an elevated position relative to the former, as indicated in Figs. 4 and 5.

In the operation of the apparatus, nappies 34 or similar bowl-shaped articles are taken from the press molds and placed in the formers 21. As a nappy approaches the burner unit A, it will be elevated by the cam rail 32, whereupon the colder exterior surface of the article will be subjected to the heat of two converging burner flames 35, the nappy being simultaneously rotated through meshing of the pinion 28 withthe rack bar 29. Two burners are employed at this point in order to efiect rapid heating and glazing so as to secure better fire polishing without excessively long heating of the entire article. The article at this stage will not slump or sag because the interior surface thereof is of suflicient coolness to maintain its shape. At station B a burner flame 36 of reduced intensity is applied to the exterior of the article, and a burner flame 31 to the interior. When the article reaches station C it is softened to nearly the extent required, and the push rod 30 has passed ofi the cam rail 32, lowering the former disc 3| to the position shown in Fig. 6. Additional heat then supplied to the upper surface of the article by a burner flame causes it to "assume its final shape on the former. Ordinarily no additional heating will be required at burner station D, but in some cases it will be utilized to efiect further glazing or to supplement the softeningaction of the burner at 38. It will be understood that the formers are constantly rotated while passing the stations A, B, C and D.

In Fig. 7 I show a manner in which the nappy will be so supported that the central under portion thereof will be accessible to burner flames, so as to have complete glazing or fire polishing throughout substantially the entire surface of the article. In this instance a push rod 40 corresponds to the push rods 30 and carries at its upper end a plate 4! in which are mounted pegs or pins 42 having knife edges that will support the nappy when the rod 40 is in elevated position, thereby leaving substantially the entire under surface of the nappy exposed to the burner flames.

I claim as my invention:

1. Apparatus for forming shallow Ware from glass nappies or the like, comprising formers, means for moving said formers past successive heating stations, means for supporting the nappies in elevated positions relative to the formers whempassing one station, means for applying heat to the exterior surfaces of the nappies at said station, means for heating the interiors of the nappies at a succeeding station, and means for lowering the nappies into such a position that they will sag against the formers when softened by the heat.

2. Apparatus for forming shallow ware from glass nappies or the like, comprising formers, means for moving said formers past successive heating stations, means for supporting the nappics in elevated positions relative to the formers when passing one station, means for applying heat to the exterior surfaces of the nappies at said station, means for heating'the interiors of the nappies at a succeeding station, means for lowering the nappies into such a position that they will sag against the formers when softened by the heat, and means for constantly rotating the nappies while being heated.

3. Apparatus for forming shallow ware from glass nappies or the like, comprising a former, a carrier for the former, means for supporting a nappy in elevated position relative to the former, means for applying heat to the interior and exterior surfaces of the nappy While so supported, and means operable through movement of the carrier, for lowering the nappy into position that it will sag against the former when sufiiciently heated.

4. Apparatus for forming shallow ware from glass nappies or the like, comprising a former, a carrier for the former, means for supporting a nappy in elevated position relative to the former, means for applying heat to the exterior surface of the nappy while so supported, means operable through movement of the carrier, for lowering the nappy into position that it will sag against the former when sufiiciently heated, and means for applying heat to the interior of the nappy when lowered.

WILLIAM L. WAGNER, SR. 

